Sins of the Rebels (Lush Trans Series #1)

Chapter 57

"You may have thought I was his child because of our matching eye color, but no..." He let out a soft chuckle, his gaze distant as he reflected on the irony.

It was a strange thing to hear, considering how much he resembled the Marasigans. The same intense yet expressive eyes, the same commanding presence— traits that seemed unmistakably inherited. But his laugh held a hint of bitterness, as if he'd long ago accepted the truth that appearances could be deceiving.

I managed a small smile, unsure of how to respond. The weight of identity, of bloodlines, felt heavier than ever, and yet Eros seemed to carry it with a quiet strength.

"Family is complicated," I whispered, almost to myself.

He looked at me, his expression softening. "It is. But we're allowed to choose who we want in our lives, blood or no blood."

"H-How are you holding up naman?" I managed to ask despite feeling lost in his revelation.

He took a deep breath, his gaze dropping to his hands as he rubbed them together slowly. "I don't know," He admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "Some days, it's like I'm fine, you know? Like I can just ignore it all. But then..." He paused, struggling to find the words. "Then there are days when it just hits me out of nowhere. The feeling of not really belonging, of being... different."

Eros cleared his throat, his gaze softening as he spoke. "But you know what? Dad treated me as his own. He loved me like I was his child, even though he knew I wasn't. And I wouldn't want it any other way."

I could see the vulnerability in his light brown eyes, the weight he carried alone for so long. Despite his calm demeanor, there was an ache hidden beneath the surface, a wound that hadn't fully healed.

There was a quiet pride in his voice, a kind of warmth that cut through the heavyweight of emotions we'd been discussing. It was like a glimmer of light in all the darkness, a reminder of the goodness he'd found in his own life despite everything. "He taught me what it means to be a family, what loyalty really looks like. And that's what keeps me grounded, even when things get so rough."

Eros looked at me with a hint of a smile, the weight of his words settling between us. In that moment, I could see just how much he cherished the love and acceptance his dad had shown him— how much it kept him anchored, even when the world around us felt like it was crumbling.

"Gusto kong itama nila ang kanilang mga mali, Reese. Malaki ang naging kasalanan ni Mommy sa pamilya ng mga Marasigan, at kaya ganun nalang ang galit ni Lucio sa pamilya namin," Huminga siya ng malalim. "Dahil hindi niya naintindihan ang hustong pangyayari at ang buong sitwasyon, he was poisoned by the father of my mother... my Grandpa, the former General that Lolo knew, and his father, my mother's cousin."

"Eros—"

"He was capitalized on. He's been used, shaped by anger and bitterness that wasn't even his to carry. They fed him lies and made him believe he needed revenge. It was one-sided,"

I could feel the heaviness of his words sinking in, the complexity of the twisted family history that bound us all in ways I hadn't fully realized until now. It was more than just mistakes— there was betrayal, manipulation, and wounds passed down through generations.

"I get it now, he grew up in a toxic environment and relationship with his family. He was manipulated and poisoned—"

"—and he never stood a chance," Eros finished. "They twisted him, Reese, turned him into someone who can't see past revenge, someone who only knows hatred and evilness."